Not all who wander are lost
by TheBlindSangheili
Summary: we all know the story of Darth Vader. but what would happen to the story if Vader found his children earlier? would the story take a turn for the light? Or would Darkness consume father and children?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so if you made it this far, thank you for giving my story a shot. I know there's a lot of Darth Vader redemption fics out there which follow a lot of the same patters but I'll try to make mine as unique as I can. Second, I appreciate any constructive criticism and advice as this is my first time doing this. Once again thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this.**

 _Aaaaaaa= flashback_

 **Disclaimer: I am not Disney; I do not own Star Wars**

 **Prologue**

" _Ani… something wonderful has happened." His angel said with a trembling voice and tears gathering in her beautiful hazel eyes._

 _He looked at her with concern, love, and fierce protectiveness in his eyes. Telling her without words that he would be there for her through whatever it was that had made her so afraid._

" _Ani…. She gasped, her voice breaking with emotion. I'm pregnant."_

 _He was stunned speechless. This was not what he had been expecting. He had expected her to tell him that she was somehow ill, or that their secret had been discovered, or.. or… anything other than that she was pregnant. With a child. HIS child._

 _He knew what this meant, for both of them. Their secret could not last much longer. Padme could not conceal her no doubt swelling womb forever. And when it was discovered… There would be hell to pay. It would be a scandal. He would be cast out in disgrace from the Jedi Order and Padme…. Padme would lose her career, her credibility as a Senator, her honor. Everything they had both worked so hard for would be gone._

 _And yet._

 _In that moment, he could not bring himself to care about any of that. His beloved wife was carrying a child, their child. The physical manifestation of their love and devotion to one another! He knew instantly how much this little life growing inside of Padme would mean to them both. How much they would love and treasure their precious child._

 _So, after a moment of silence which seemed to drag on forever, he said with complete honesty._

" _That's wonderful Padme! That's wonderful news!"_

 _His wife, ever the pragmatist, did not look so convinced. "Oh Anakin what are we going to do?"_

 _He gathered her in his arms. Stroking her chocolate curls which were wrapped in an ornate headdress in an attempt to comfort her. "We aren't going to worry about anything right now. Alright?" He whispered as he stared lovingly into her tear filled eyes. "This is a happy day."_

" _The happiest day of my life."_


	2. A presence i have not felt

**AN: A big thanks to all of those who reviewed the prologue. I really appreciate your kind words and encouragements. That said I will hope to continue to update this on (hopefully) a regular basis. Although with school and work and family I may be somewhat sporadic in my uploads. Bear with me though, I promise I will do my best to upload at least once per week. With that out of the way, enjoy the first chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: all rights to Star Wars and its characters belong to Disney and George Lucas not me.**

 **Ch. 1: a presence I have not felt since….**

" _The happiest day of my life….."_

Darth Vader awoke with a gasp, his words from that day so long ago ringing in his mind.

The Dark Lord scanned his surroundings, finding the now familiar metallic walls of his hyperbolic chamber.

Vader brought his hand to his face. He had dreamed of her. Again. Even after four years she still haunted his every waking moment.

His beloved. His Angel. His Padme….

He let out a ragged breath from his ruined lungs, his breath becoming mist in the cold confines of the chamber. How could he have been so foolish? Everything he'd done, everything he'd sacrificed, had all been for HER. To save HER! And he had killed her. He had killed Padme and their precious baby. For what? A half-life as a cybertronic monster?

If only he'd been able to speak to her. Shown her that he had done everything to save her and their child, shown her that every atrocity had been on her behalf, and explained that what he'd done had brought peace. She would have understood. He knew she would have. His wife was nothing if not an intelligent woman. Vader was sure he could have convinced her, if not for the appearance of Kenobi.

Kenobi…. Just the name was enough to send a tidal wave of rage coursing through his veins.

Yes, Kenobi. It was all **his** fault that it had happened. If he had just stayed away, if he hadn't made Padme turn against him, none of it would have ever happened. Vader would still be human. He would have his wife and child by his side. He would be ruling the Galaxy! He would have had it all if not for his treacherous former master.

Realizing that he would get no more sleep this night, Vader reached out with the force and activated the mechanisms which lowered his deathshead helmet back onto his scarred and deformed head and opened the pressurized chamber.

Stepping out of his sanctum, the Dark Lord of the Sith walked purposefully out of his personal quarters and made his way to the bridge.

'I may as well make sure those asinine fools haven't managed to bungle anything important while I've been gone.' Vader thought sourly.

Exiting the turbolift, Vader stepped onto the bridge of his flagship, the super star destroyer _Executor._ As the intimidating hiss of his mechanical breathing filled the bridge, the room went silent. The various officers and crew members all halted their activity and conversations and crisply saluted their commander. They all knew better than to fail to show proper respect to the dark clad Sith Lord.

"At ease." Vader snapped dismissively as he marched to the head of the bridge. The various imperial personal let out a collective mental sigh of relief and continued to go about their duties.

The Sith Lord made his way to the head of the bridge to stand beside Admiral Piett, his trusted and competent second in command. Unlike most imperial officers, Piett had been one of the few Imperial officers to earn Vader's respect as both a competent subordinate and a true warrior. The Admiral did not play politics, nor did he put personal glory or pride ahead of the mission as many of the other members of the higher echelons of the Imperial military did. He was also one of the few who showed Vader genuine respect, rather than simply licking his boots for a promotion. For these reasons the Dark Lord viewed Piett not only as a valued ally, but also a friend.

"My lord." Piett greeted Vader. "Admiral." Vader replied. "How much longer till we enter the Alderaan system?" He questioned.

A few days prior, the Emperor had instructed Vader to pay the viceroy of Alderaan a "visit" and remind him of where his loyalties should rightfully lie. On the surface Organa appeared a loyal, if somewhat dissident, member of the Imperial Senate. However both Vader and the Emperor knew that this was simply a front for the wealthy viceroy's other activities. Namely the funding of several growing rebel cells in various systems across the empire. It was Vader's task to remind Bail Organa of the consequences of opposing the Empire.

"We shall arrive in orbit above Alderaan in precisely three standard hours Lord Vader." Piett informed him tactfully.

Vader gave a nod of approval. "Good, ensure that Viceroy Organa is not informed of our arrival until my shuttle has left the _Executor_." The Sith Lord instructed. " I do not wish the good Viceroy to be granted any time to conceal any traitorous activities on his part."

Piett gave a firm nod. "Yes my lord. Shall I instruct the 501st to prepare for landing?"

"No Piett, the emperor was clear in his orders. We are to remind the Senator of his allegiances, but no harm is to come to him or the planet. Organa still has significant influence in the senate and harming him or his planet would only grant the rebels further credibility." Vader explained.

Piett nodded his understanding and Vader dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Three hours later, Vader boarded his personal shuttle and descended to the planet below with tie fighter escort.

As the ship neared the ornate palace of the royal family of Alderaan, Vader allowed himself a momentary lapse in character to appreciate Alderaan's beauty. It truly was the jewel of the Mid Rim…

A pity he may have to burn it to the ground one day if the Viceroy failed to cooperate.

The shuttle began it's to the palace and settled on the landing pad with a soft thud. Vader exited the ship with a squad of Stormtroopers flanking him as he made his way into the palace.

As he marched through the palace towards Organa's force signature, Vader allowed himself a smug smile behind his mask. He had clearly caught the traitorous Senator by surprise. Palace guards and staff whom he passed through the ornate halls gazed upon him and his retinue with a mixture of surprise and terror before quickly removing themselves from his path and averting their gaze.

Vader reveled in their fear, satisfied with his ability intimidate them with his mere presence. He allowed those emotions to fuel the darkness within him and by extension, his power.

As he was beginning to immerse himself in the Dark Side however, he was rocked from his reverie by a sudden disturbance in the Force. A pulse of light so sudden and powerful that it caused the Dark Lord to falter in his step, if only for a moment. Then, as quickly as it had come, the disturbance faded, leaving Vader to ponder what it could have been.

He did not have long to dwell on it however, as he came to a pair of large, gold laden doors. Behind which he sensed the presence e of Senator Organa and several other beings. Using the force, he flung the large doors open wide with a loud thud.

The flustered occupants of the throne room turned from their conversations and looked on the Dark Lord's entrance with a mixture of shock and fear.

'Good.' He thought smugly. 'Fear will keep Organa in line and remind him of exactly what is at stake.'

Standing in the middle of the spacious but much decorated room was Viceroy Bail Organa, bedecked in his senatorial finery and wearing an expression of pure terror, though he tried to disguise it. Vader sensed the man's fear was more so for his family and perhaps his cause than his own safety. A fact Vader made certain to note.

Beside Organa was his wife, Breha and several of her handmaidens. As with every other being he had encountered thus far, each of the women oozed fear into the Force. All of them except…

Vader was taken aback for a moment as he looked downwards from his considerable height to look upon the one being in the room that seemed unafraid of him. A small child clinging to the Queen's skirts.

The child was a girl, appearing to be perhaps four or five years old, wearing a small blue dress which mirrored that of the queen. And whose dark chocolate colored hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head. She was staring up at the Dark Lord of the Sith with an expression nor of fear, but merely curiosity at the tall, dark clad stranger.

Yet it was more than the child's lack of fear which took Vader by surprise. It was her striking resemblance to his long dead wife. Her piercing brown eyes, chocolate curls, complete lack of fear and curious expression all reminded him painfully of his beloved Padme. In fact… the little girl looked exactly as he had always imagined their child would have. For he had beens certain that Padme was carrying a daughter. It was as if…

'NO!' he thought angrily. 'These are the weak thoughts of Anakin Skywalker. This child is nothing!'

And yet…

"Lord Vader," Organa greeted cordially, if coldly, breaking Vader out of his thoughts and shifting his attention back to the primary goal of his mission. The "education" of the treacherous Viceroy.

"This is a great honor." the Senator continued, though his tone and force signature suggested it was anything but. "Had we been informed of your arrival, we would have prepared a proper…"

"Spare me the theatrics Viceroy" Vader interjected roughly. " The Emperor is more than aware of your treasonous affiliations."

"I don't know what you are speaking of Lord Vader, I am a member of the imperial senate and…"

"You are a part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor!"

"I assure you Lord Vader I have always been loyal to-"

The Viceroy suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his face frozen in horror. At first Vader thought the Senator's change in demeanor was out of fear for himself. However he soon noticed that Organa's terrified gaze was not fixed on the Emperor's enforcer, but rather something below him.

It was then that Vader noticed that the small child, the one whom had caught his attention before, was now standing directly in front of him. Fixing the Sith Lord with a curious gaze.

The Queen, who had been to enraptured by the exchange between her husband and Vader to notice that the little girl had left her side, let out a gasp of horror.

The child, seemingly unfazed by distress she had caused her caretakers, continued to fix Vader with her unflinching gaze before saying in a soft voice which held confidence beyond her years, "hello."

Everyone in the room, including the Dark Lord himself, stood shocked at the girl's simple greeting to the most dangerous and feared being in the galaxy.

'Hello?' Thought Vader in shock. 'When was the last time anyone said something as simple as hello to me?"

Ordinarily, if anyone had dared to address the Sith in such a casual way, they would have promptly had their necks snapped. However for some reason that he himself could not comprehend, Vader did not find the child's casual greeting infuriating. Even stranger, the very thought of harming the little girl standing before him was abhorrent to Vader, and made him feel physically sick to his stomach.

'But why?' He questioned himself. ' it's not as if she would be the first child I had killed.'

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt an abrupt tug on his cape from the little girl.

Continuing to hold him in a steady gaze, the girl spoke again in a now slightly annoyed tone, "Excuse me. Didn't you hear me? I said hello. Mama told me its rude not to say hello back to someone after they've greeted you."

The Queen and Viceroy's eyes bulged in even further horror and the Queen let out another terrified gasp at hearing the girl's bold words to the Sith.

But again, Vader did not feel anger at the girl's lack of respect and fear towards him. To his own shock, he felt pure amusement at the child's precociousness.

"Hello to you as well my lady, my apologies for not greeting you earlier." The dreaded lord of the Sith quipped, accentuating his words with a small bow to the little girl.

The girl, seemingly unaware that the dark clad man was not being completely serious, gave a firm nod and curtsied in return before gracing Vader with a small smile.

Vader could feel the shock of the room's other occupants at the bewildering exchange between the small child and one of the most dreaded beings in the entire Galaxy through the Force. Truth be told, he himself was equally as shocked by his actions. These were not the words and actions of Darth Vader, the Emperor's right hand and Lord of the Sith. It was as if the child, for just a split second, had brought back Anakin Skywalker.

The moment ended however as the Queen regained her wits and quickly rushed forward to take the child into her arms.

"I apologize for my daughter's behavior my lord." The woman squeaked. Fear evident in every facet of her being. "I assure you it will not happen again. Come Leia, let us leave your father and Lord Vader to their…. **Business**."

The Viceroy's wife quickly retreated from the throne room with her daughter and handmaidens in tow before the Sith could respond.

'There is something about that girl.' Vader thought. 'It is as if I have met her before, somehow.'

He quickly dismissed these thoughts however. He was a Dark Lord of the Sith, the destroyer of the Jedi, he should not be concerning himself with anything to do with a child. The child of a traitor no less. He must focus on the task at hand, bringing the rebellious Viceroy to heel.

"You have a very outspoken daughter Senator." He said in an offhand manner.

Bail looked back to Vader, his face once again frozen in pure horror at the Sith's mention of his daughter.

"Perhaps a child with such a bright disposition and distinguished lineage would do well at the Imperial court on Coruscant." He continued casually.

Vader felt the Senator's fear spike once again through the Force. In the past, the Emperor had made a habit of taking the children of particularly troublesome rulers and politicians into the Imperial court as "wards of the court". Hostages in all but name. These children were often taken when they were young, separated from their parents for many years, and when finally returned to their homes, utterly loyal to the Emperor. He knew that to Organa, such a fate being leveled on his daughter would be worse for him than his own death by Vader's hand.

"Perhaps." Organa replied nervously. "however I believe that she will do best to stay here, in her home."

"So long as Alderaan remains loyal, that shall be the case Viceroy." The Dark Lord replied bluntly.

The Senator merely nodded, having been sufficiently cowed by the Sith's thinly veiled threats towards his planet and family.

Vader turned to leave the throne room, satisfied that he had repressed the Viceroy's rebellious tendencies at least for the moment. Before he left however, he turned one last time to the Viceroy.

"I and my ship shall remain on Alderaan for the next week Senator, until Admiral Dinjit's fleet arrives in the system."

Organa's face changed from an image of fear to one of indignation and anger.

"The Empire is placing a fleet within Alderaan's borders!? Why?"

"To protect the planet and its people from any… rebel attacks, of course. That will not be an issue will it?" the Dark Lord challenged.

The Senator stood his ground, masking his fear and anger with a well-practiced act of composure.

"No, Lord Vader, Alderaan is…. Grateful for the Empire's…. **protection**."

With that, Vader exited the throne room without another word. Making his way back towards the shuttle and his flagship, all the time unaware of a pair of brown eyes watching him from one of the balconies above.


	3. a mutual curiosity

**AN: hey everybody! I'm back! I apologize for the EXTREMELY long wait I put you guys through, I didn't lose interest or forget, I promise, my laptop was actually lost so I had no way to write or upload. But the good news is I'm back and ready to continue the story!**

 **Special thanks to Lyn79, DragponsFlame117, Murlily, Morriganna, Vaderwazrite, and unknown sample for your reviews on the story thus far and thank you to everyone who followed and favorited the story really helps keep me motivated!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing of star wars**

 **Without further ado, lets jump into the story.**

Ch. 2 A mutual curiosity

 **Leia POV**

Leia was excited.

Her father was preparing for Gingerbell Blossom festival celebration which would be held in the grand ballroom of the Royal Palace, and he had finally deemed her old enough to attend with him and her mother!

Leia had seen the festival before by sneaking out and taking a peak at the celebration every year, but she had never been able to take part in the festivities before this year. She was ecstatic at the prospect.

She wondered if the strange man would be there?

Leia had only spoken to the dark clad stranger once, when he had come to talk about some "business" with her father as mama had put it. Despite their brief interaction Leia found herself drawn to the strangely dressed man. He had been interesting. Even if he hadn't answered her right away when she said hello… although now that she thought about it he might not have been able to hear her at first with the funny looking helmet he wore. At least he had been nice after that. He hadn't ignored her or told her to go away like some of Papa's **other** visitors.

She didn't understand why mama and papa hadn't liked her talking to him.

After her mother had taken her out of the throne room, she had taken Leia aside and told her not to talk to the man anymore.

 _Flashback_

" _Leia, listen to me, you must never do that again. Do you understand? You cannot talk with that man again. "Her mother said, kneeling down to look Leia in the eye._

" _But Mama," the little girl defended. "I was just trying to be polite; you always told me I should introduce myself to guests! And he was nice!"_

 _Her mother sighed in frustration, knowing that Leia was too young to understand just how much danger she was in, but she still had to learn._

" _I know what I said sweetheart but this is different. That man is very dangerous. I want you to promise me that you won't go and talk with him again."_

 _Leia nodded her head sadly, knowing better than to argue with her mother, even if she didn't see how the stranger was dangrerous._

" _I need to hear you say it Leia." Her mother insisted._

" _I promise mama, I won't talk with him anymore."_

 _End flashback_

After that, she had gone to her room and watched from one of the balconies as the stranger left in a space shuttle.

She had seen him from a distance a few more times over the following days, usually accompanied by the Stormtroopers, who up until recently had been a rare sight in Leia's life. But, true to her promise, she had not gone to talk with him.

A sudden knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me princess." Answered Captain Antilles, her father's most trusted guard. "Your father sent me to collect you for the Festival."

Jumping up from her bed with excitement, Leia ran to the door and almost bowled over a startled Captain Antilles.

"Yay! I'm ready, let's go!" she exclaimed, tugging on the flustered captain's hand.

"Very well princess, but please, slow down a bit." Antilles warned, though his warm smile showed Leia that he wasn't really angry.

The pair made their way down to the grand ballroom where the festivities had already begun.

Leia had never seen such a sight in all her short years of life. The Ballroom, which was already a grand sight before, had been completely transformed with hanging tapestries showing the past members of the royal line, rows of tables lined with the most delicious smelling foods she had ever seen, and both the pillars and ceiling were covered in wreaths of Gingerblossoms!

The floor was covered with the various government officials, nobles and distant members of the royal family which made up the upper rung of Alderaanian society. At the far end of the ballroom, next to a raised dais stood her father and mother, looking every bit the regal monarchs that they were.

"Mama! Papa!" she cried, running forward to embrace her parents.

Her father caught her in his arms and embraced her tightly. "Hello sweetheart." He greeted. "You're excited for the festival I see."

Leia nodded her head yes with a smile that was as wide as the oceans.

"Good. But remember, be on your best behavior, there are many important people here." He said.

"I will Papa, I promise." The four year old swore.

Her father smiled and hoisted Leia up to hold her in his arms for a while.

Suddenly, the great doors to the ballroom opened and in walked a new figure to the Festival. The various guests turned to see who the newcomer was before going strangely silent.

It was the strange man.

The dark clad figure strode purposefully into the ballroom, the other festival goers quickly parting to make room for him as he made his way to the dais which held the royal family.

Leia felt her father tense as the dark man stood before them. She knew her father well enough to tell that even though his face showed nothing but mild curiosity and polite indifference, he was not happy.

"Lord Vader." Her father greeted.

"Viceroy." The stranger replied.

"We had not expected your attendance tonight my Lord, we are deeply honored." Father continued.

"I'm sure." Vader replied. Not sounding like he really believed it, though it was a bit difficult to tell with the mask.

"The Emperor wished to have a representative attend the celebrations as a gesture of his…. Good faith and support for the people of Alderaan." He continued.

"The Emperor does us a great service, and we are grateful for his consideration." Her father smoothly replied.

"He also wished me to inform you that the Fleet has been delayed by rebel activity in the Bothuwaii sector. Their arrival has been delayed by several weeks, so I and the _Executor_ shall have to extend our stay on Alderaan." Vader informed her father.

She felt her father's arms tense around her once again, he was definitely not happy with THAT news.

He simply nodded at the news. "As the Empire demands." He said.

The masked man made to move away but seemed to hesitate, his masked eyes seeming unwilling to move away from the dais for a moment before he turned and strode off to another end of the ballroom.

Leia had a strange feeling that it was her his eyes had been on.

Her father let out a relieved breath before slowly releasing her from his arms and setting her back on solid ground.

"Why don't you go ahead and enjoy the festival for awhile while your father and I entertain the guests darling." Her mother suggested.

"Okay Mama." The little girl replied, excited at the prospect of being able to explore the festivities on her own for the first time.

Leia spent most of the evening moving about the ballroom, taking in the various sights and decorations of the Festival, playing traditional games that occurred during the festival, and even dancing with her father for a song. As the night got longer however, she found herself parched and made her way over to one of the tables which held various refreshments and drinks for the guests.

As she poured herself a small glass of Bantha milk, she felt a cold presence behind her, making a chill travel up her spine.

"Hello again young princess." The voice of the masked man named Vader rasped behind her, his mechanical breathing seeming deafening even with the music and various voices echoing throughout the ballroom.

Leia felt conflicted. Something within her had been yearning to speak with Vader ever since their first meeting, but she had promised her mother she would not speak to him again.

Although…..

' Mama said I couldn't talk **to** him, not that I couldn't talk **with** him.' She thought. 'and it would be rude not to talk to him after he already greeted me.' She continued.

Satisfied with her logic, she turned to speak with the fascinating stranger.

"Hello." She replied.

"Are you enjoying the festivities?" he questioned.

"Yes!" Leia replied excitedly, unable to maintain her royal decorum with her enthusiasm bubbling inside her. "it's the first year Papa has let me come. It's very exciting , everyone seems very happy, and the food is delicious, and there's lots of fun things to do!"

Vader let out some kind of strange wheezing sound which Leia assumed to be a laugh. Seemingly bemused by the Princesses' enthusiasm.

Ordinarily Leia would have felt embarrassed and insulted if an adult laughed at something she said, but something told Leia that the dark man wasn't trying to make fun of her.

Growing bolder at the man's display of amusement, Leia decided to ask a question she had been wondering about ever since she had first seen him.

"Why do you wear that mask?" she asked curiously.

Vader's laughter ceased and for a moment the only sound was that of his mechanical breathing. Making Leia wondered if she had made a mistake and offended the man.

"I'm sorry." She tried to backtrack. "I didn't mean to pry, its just, I was curious and…"

"It is alright, there is nothing to apologize for, you did not offend me." He quickly interrupted. "It's a long and painful story which I don't particularly wish to divulge, but suffice it to say that I require the mask to survive, without it I cannot breathe." He explained to the young girl.

Leia listened to the man's tale with horror and a sense of deep, unexplainable sympathy for the man. For some reason which she herself could not explain, the thought of this man being hurt made her feel sick and awful inside.

"That's horrible!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry."

Vader dismissed her statement with a wave of his hand. "do not be, it is not any fault of yours."

"But no one should have to live like that." Leia stated sadly, before moving forward and quickly wrapping her arms around Vader's waist.

She felt Vader stiffen in shock at her actions, though he had no time to react before she retracted her arms and moved back to stand in front of Vader once again.

Suddenly feeling very tired, she quickly bid the dark clad man goodbye and went in search of her parents, leaving a shocked Vader standing next to the refreshments.

 **Vader's POV**

The Dark Lord of the Sith stood in shock at the encounter he had just had with the young Leia Organa.

He had spent most of the evening after his first encounter with the royal family skulking in the shadows of the room, watching the festivities and reaching out with his senses searching for any duplicitous Rebel activities that might be taking place under the cover of the festival.

As the night had worn on however, he had noticed the young princess move off to get refreshment and his curiosity had been peaked.

Ever since their first encounter in the throne room several days prior, the girl had been on his mind. He had no explanation for it other than perhaps that the Force was urging him towards the girl, for what purpose he did not know.

So, under the guise of probing her young and childish mind for any scraps of information her Father may have inadvertently dropped near her, he made his way over to the child.

However as he conversed with the girl, Vader was once again shocked by his own behavior. While Anakin Skywalker had been a friendly, carefree man, Vader was not. Yet he had been able to think of nothing he wanted more to know than if she was enjoying herself. Whatsmore, he had actually laughed for the first time in over four years, all because of a young girl's excitement at being able to attend a festival.

Even more shocking was the fact that the girl had been brave enough to ask him about his suit and mask, a question not even his most senior officer dared to venture. And he had answered her! He had not been angry or annoyed by her question. Simply uncomfortable, and even with that discomfort, he had answered her.

Finally, the girl had shown him compassion that Vader had not had shown to him nor had he shown to others in so long. She had even embraced him. A young child embracing a Sith Lord? And he had allowed it?

There was something about the girl. He could sense it, practically taste it. But he was not sure what exactly it was about her that made him act so unlike himself, or what drew him to her. He intended to find out however.

Marching towards the exit, Vader pulled out his personal comlink and contacted Admiral Piett.

"Yes my Lord?" the Admiral questioned his commanding officer as his face appeared through the hologram.

"Piett, get in contact with the intelligence officers. Tell them to dig up all the available information we have on princess Leia Organa."

 **Well, there's chapter two! Hope you enjoyed it. I promise that the wait for the next one wont be as long as this was.**


	4. Inriguing confrontations

**AN: sorry for another super long wait everybody. I got a new job which has been keeping me extremely busy. Coupled with writers block and indecisiveness on my part about where I wanted to take the story and you get a long lapse between updates. I apologize, truly.**

 **Once again though, I am back and excited to continue our journey! Just in time for Christmas too.**

 **Unfortunately this is NOT the chapter where Leia and Vader discover their relationship. That will come at a later date (but not too terribly far away hopefully). Sorry to anyone who was hoping for the big reveal this chapter, but I've got a plan which I think everyone will like in the end. I am however, open to input from my readers as always and any advice you give IS taken into consideration.**

 **Disclaimer: I am not Disney, I do not own Star Wars, I make no money off this, etc. etc.**

 **Ch. 4 Intriguing confrontations**

 **Vader POV**

Princess Leia Organa was an interesting child indeed.

Piett had given Vader every available piece of information on the princess of Alderaan. Which was, admittedly, not much as she was not exactly a high profile character for Imperial Intelligence despite her father. What was available however, was extremely intriguing to the Dark Lord.

Leia was apparently not the Viceroy's biological child, a fact Vader had not been privy to before. Though when he thought about it, it did make sense. The child did not share any traits of her adopted mother or father whatsoever and her bubbly personality was quite different from the kind but somewhat stoic Viceroy.

She was also apparently quite the mischievous young individual. The vast majority of correspondence that Imperial Intelligence had in which her name was mentioned was from outraged dignitaries and Alderaanian nobles whom the girl had either played some manner of practical joke on or offended in some way. Some of the pranks had actually sounded quite like something a young Anakin would have tried….

Vader shook his head to clear his mind of that particular line of thinking.

Ever since he had arrived on Alderaan, he had found himself reminiscing about his former life more and more. On the happy days training in the Temple with his fellow Padawans, building his first Lightsaber, moments spent with his beloved Padme, planning for the arrival of their child.

The last thought was what filled Vader with the most pain and anguish of all. More than even the fires of Mustafar. In his weaker moments he would find himself imagining what his and Padme's child would have looked like, what it would have been like to raise the child together on Naboo just as they had planned.

But it would never be, he reminded himself. Padme was gone, their baby was gone, and it was all because of him.

'Enough of this!' he thought angrily. 'I am Darth Vader! Dark Lord of the Sith and apprentice to the most powerful being in the galaxy. I do not need her, I do not need the child.'

It was a lie. And he knew it.

Knowing that he would gain nothing more by ruminating on the subject, Vader returned to the matter at hand. The Viceroy's daughter.

Vader remained curious about the girl despite the lack of any groundbreaking information to justify his interest in her. She was important somehow; he could feel it in the Force. What he couldn't understand was why. Why was this girl so important? What could it possibly be? She seemed to be a fairly ordinary child. Well, as ordinary as a princess and daughter of one of the most influential senators in the galaxy could be.

Finally, he decided that the only way to find the source of the Force's guidance towards the girl would be to remain in close proximity to her, at least for the time being.

Stepping outside of his meditation chamber once again and re donning his helmet, he activated the comlink to the bridge.

"Piett. Have a shuttle prepared, I am returning to the surface."

"Yes my lord." The admiral replied. "But are you certain that is a wise move?" He questioned cautiously. "I suspect the viceroy is growing suspicious of your continued presence at the palace." He said, nervously awaiting his superior's response.

If it had been anyone else questioning his orders, Vader would have killed them immediately, but the admiral was a special case. He was one of the few truly competent officers Vader had, and the closest thing he had to a friend now. If he had friends anymore that was.

Besides, if he killed Piett, he would undoubtedly be replaced by one of the boot licking fools below him.

"I am aware admiral." Vader replied calmly. "But we must have more information on the Viceroy by any means necessary if we are to have a permanent resolution to this situation." He explained.

Vader had not informed anyone of his feelings concerning the Organa girl, maintaining the guise of merely looking for a way to force Bail Organa into a permanent severance of his ties to the Rebels. Something told him it would be unwise to mention his fixation, for lack of a better word, with the girl.

The admiral nodded, accepting Vader's logic.

A short time later, Vader found himself back in the royal palace of Alderaan, seeking out the Viceroy and his family who, according to the servant he had interrogated on the matter, were spending time in one of the palace gardens.

The sound of laughter let him know he was close.

As he rounded a trimmed hedge, he found the Organa family. Bail and Breha Organa reclined comfortably on a large blanket in the middle of a grassy knoll with a large tree at the center of the garden. Their daughter was attempting to climb the tree, however she could not reach the limbs and merely continued trying to jump higher to reach it, her parents laughing at her antics.

It was a picture of perfect familial harmony, and Vader hated it.

He hated that the Organas had been blessed with this joy. The joy that only a child, only a family could bring, while he and Padme had been denied the chance.

At that moment, the young girl ceased her attempts to climb the tree and turned her eyes to the Dark Lord, whose arrival no one had noticed. As if….

As if she could **sense** his anger.

The Viceroy and his wife turned to see what had caught their daughter's attention, only to find themselves staring into the black visor of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The air seemed to grow suddenly cold as the family and the Emperor's enforcer stared at each other. Vader could feel Bail's anger at the Sith's latest intrusion upon his family's affairs, though his face betrayed nothing. The lady of Alderaan stared back at Vader with her usual mix of fear, confusion and disgust. The Princess Leia on the other hand, seemed… pleased? Was it truly possible that this young child was actually happy to see him? The most feared and hated being in the entire galaxy?

"Hi!" the little girl squealed, interrupting his rumination. "Did you come to see the gardens? They're really pretty aren't they?" she asked kindly, clambering back down the tree to stand in front of the Sith Lord.

Before Vader could respond, Bail shot his daughter a look, telling her that now was not the time for precociousness. Leia, to her credit, seemed to immediately understand and went to sit beside her mother.

"Lord Vader" The Viceroy rose to greet him coldly. "May I ask what the meaning of this is? I was not informed that you had any wish to meet with me today, and as you can see, I am currently spending time with my family. So if I may ask, what is the purpose of your…. Visit?"

"My business is my own Viceroy, and the Empire goes where it pleases." He replied hotly

The senator narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, and Vader felt the man's anger spike higher than ever before. Yet he still maintained his dignified facade. Something that Vader was reluctantly impressed by.

Underneath the hate and anger however, he sensed something else. Fear. No, terror. Pure, blinding, terror.

This intrigued Vader further.

Deciding to be somewhat bold, Vader began a small probing of Organa's mind. Not enough for it to be noticeable to the senator, but enough to determine the root cause of his fear and anxiety.

To his surprise, the man's fears seemed to be not at all linked to his rebel affiliations. He simply did not hold any fear of being discovered, at least not for himself. Instead, all of his current fears seemed focused entirely on the young girl sitting on the grass behind him. Of course, Vader had expected a great deal of fear from Organa concerning the child. He was clearly a very caring father, but the amount of fear surrounding the girl was staggering. Even more interesting, he seemed to be at the root of that fear. A fear that was far deeper seated than just this instant or even Vader's arrival on the planet.

Before the viceroy could respond further to the Sith's provocations, a nervous young aide entered the gardens.

"Viceroy Organa, my Lord Vader." The young human woman greeted demurely

"Yes, what is it Tyla?" Organa enquired.

"Admiral Piett begged me inform Lord Vader that he has an incoming message from…"

"My business with the Viceroy is not to be disturbed." Vader interrupted. "Inform Piett that whoever it is will wait."

The girl paled even further at the Dark Lord's mechanical voice. "I am sorry my lord, but it is the Emperor who has issued the summons." She squeaked meekly.

Vader huffed in annoyance from within the confines of his mask. Damn Sidious. His master had a habit of picking the most inopportune times. What could the old man possibly desire now? Not that it mattered, Vader was bound to answer the call or face his master's considerable wrath.

"Very well." He said. Turning from the group and leaving without so much as a word in parting.

If there was one being in the galaxy he hated more than Kenobi, it was Palpatine.

At one point in his life, he had considered the man to be a close friend and confidante. A kind face to turn to in times of doubt. A wise and understanding uncle on whom he could always depend. No longer.

He had long since seen past the Sith Master's deceptive mask. He knew now that all those years of supposed friendship and mentorship had been nothing but a ploy to lure him ever closer to the Dark Side and his inevitable destiny as a Sith. All the kind words, the sympathetic gazes and the false promises of salvation for his beloved wife. All lies. Lies that had cost him his only chance at happiness. Yet the Dark Side was his only escape, and he was no longer powerful enough to defy his master on his own. And so he served him.

So it was that Vader was directed by the servant to the holocommunicator in the Viceroy's personal (and secure) council chambers. Upon entering the room, Vader activated the holo transmitter with the Force and bent the knee.

A moment later, the Emperor's withered visage appeared before him.

"Ahhh my old friend." The Sith Master purred, making Vader's stomach churn with disgust at the word **friend**. "I trust your mission on Alderaan is proceeding as planned?"

"Yes master." Vader replied. "The viceroy has been reminded of his place in the Empire. I believe we shall have no further disruptions from him, at least for the time being."

"Excellent my apprentice." Sidious congratulated, false praise dripping like honey from his lips. "However, we must have assurance that the viceroy will never again question our authority. His wealth and influence have been invaluable to the rebels and we cannot allow him to continue aiding them. A more… permanent solution is warranted."

"Yes master." Vader supplied.

"You have been observing the viceroy for some time." The Emperor continued. "So perhaps you have some insights as to how we might best ply the viceroy's cooperation, Lord Vader."

The girl was the first thing that came to Vader's mind. In the short time he had been on Alderaan it had become abundantly clear that Princess Leia was Bail's greatest concern and the greatest tool of blackmail against him. He remembered how the color had drained from the man's face when he had mentioned the possibility of Leia coming to the Imperial court as a "guest".

Yet, something within him held him back from telling his master this. Some deep rooted instinct drove him to try to protect the girl from the monster standing before him. Throwing up mind blocks and subtly closing his mind to protect the information from Sidious.

Not subtly enough it seemed. As Sidious's eyes narrowed at his enforcer.

"I sense you are keeping something from me apprentice. Speak." He commanded, all warmth gone from his voice.

"It is nothing master, I… agggghhhhh!" Vader was cut off as the Emperor reached through the Force, sending electrical currents through his suit which crippled him, even half a galaxy away.

"You forget your place Lord Vader." Palpatine sneered. "There is nothing you may keep from me. Now, tell me what it is that you know."

Vader was conflicted. On the one hand, his stomach still rebelled at the thought of so much as mentioning the Princesses' name to the Sith. But neither did he wish this pain to continue, so he compromised.

"The Viceroy's daughter, the princess Leia, would have made a logical choice for blackmail master." He intoned cautiously.

"Ahhhh I see, perhaps the girl should be brought then to Coruscant as our **honored guest**." The withered Sidious purred maliciously.

"I thought the same my master; however, having studied the viceroy over the last several rotations I now believe such an act would be ineffective. He loves the girl greatly, it is true. But taking her would only strengthen his rebel sympathies, not lessen them. His weakness is his compassion and loyalty towards his people. He will not make a move to support the rebellion so long as we hold the lives of his people in our hands."

His speech finished, the Dark Lord looked upward once again to the image of his master, hoping he had bought the ruse. It was after all, not entirely untrue. The Viceroy's hatred of the Empire would no doubt increase if they took the girl, but this did not necessarily mean that he would continue aiding the rebels and risk his daughter's life. He was counting on the Emperor not knowing Organa well enough to realize that however.

The Emperor remained silent, calculating eyes studying his apprentice as he considered his words. Finally, Sidious spoke, "Very well Lord Vader. I shall take your council in this matter most seriously. Admiral Dinjit's fleet shall be stationed on Alderaan on a permanent basis. Be certain that it is made abundantly clear to our friend senator Organa that any further treason on his part will result in great suffering not for him, but for his people."

Vader once again bowed his head. "It will be done my master." He submitted.

With that, the tram mission was ended and his master's image faded away. Leaving Vader once again alone, wondering what in the name of the Force had made him defy his master.

'Why?' he asked himself. 'Why did I risk my master's wrath to protect Organa's whelp?' It made no sense. Being intrigued by the Princess? Feeling drawn to her? That was one thing. But this? This defied any and all logic that the Sith Lord could think of.

He must get to the bottom of this. He must find out what it was about this child, this Leia Organa that affected him so. If only for his own peace of mind. But first, it was time to put an end to the Viceroy's little rebellion.

 **Bail POV**

Bail Organa had never been this afraid in his life. He had thought he had known what fear was before. After all he was no stranger to danger and had been in risky situations before, but this, this was a whole other kind of fear. The pure terror he felt for his adopted daughter was all encompassing, and he doubted he had a good night's sleep in weeks.

When Vader had first arrived unexpectedly on Alderaan, Bail had feared the worst. That the monster formerly known as Anakin Skywalker had somehow discovered Leia's true identity. That he had come to take her away. It had almost been a relief to discover that it was his own affiliations with the rebellion that had brought the Emperor's right hand to his plant. Almost.

He had received another panic when Leia, who to his horror had been in the throne room when Vader barged in, had walked right up to the Sith Lord and said hello. As if Vader was some visiting dignitary or relative rather than one of the most feared beings in galactic history. Then he'd been shocked as the Dark Lord spoke kindly and jokingly to the little girl before Breha had quickly whisked her away from the room. He had not had but a moment to breathe however before he was delivered another bought of terror when Vader mentioned the possibility of Leia being taken as "ward" of the Imperial court. Bail knew what happened to the children taken as wards by the Emperor, and he'd sooner die than see such a thing happen to Leia. She might not bed his blood, but he loved her as much as if she were his own daughter. He would not allow what had happened to her father to happen to her.

'I made a promise to Padme that I would protect her daughter. And I will' He thought.

It was then that he heard the hiss of the door to his spacious office opening. Looking up he saw the face, or rather mask, of the last person he wanted to see in that moment. Vader strode into the room as if he owned the place, making his way to tower over the senator of Alderaan. It appeared that interrupting his time had become somewhat of a habit for the cybernetic Sith.

"Lord Vader." Bail greeted cordially, if coldly. "What may I do for the Empire?"

He'd rather not do anything for the Empire, and he suspected Vader knew that, but nevertheless he could not openly show any amount of disdain or disrespect towards the Sith Lord. He would not give Vader an excuse to execute him.

"You may cease the act Viceroy." Vader growled. "We both know where your true loyalties lie."

"I assure you my lord; I do not know what you mean. I have always been loyal to the Empire." He replied, keeping his face blank and his voice civil. Vader did not seem convinced.

"So you intend to continue to play this game?" The Dark Lord asked. "Very well. If you are truly loyal to the Empire, then you should be happy to hear that the Emperor has decided to **permanently** garrison troops on Alderaan. To ensure its continued stability and keep it from falling under attack by Rebel scum."

And with those words, Bail felt the cold grip of terror on his heart once again.

Unable to contain his shock this time, he stood quickly from his desk to face the Sith's faceplate.

"My-my lord. This is a drastic measure! Alderaan is peaceful! We do not even have a planetary defense system in place! We are of no threat to anyone!"

"All the more reason why the Empire's protection is needed then." Vader retorted.

"Lord Vader, this is unheard of! Garrisoning a fleet on a world at peace? Would it not be wiser for them to…."

His sentence was cut off as he felt his throat begin to tighten.

"The Empire does not make suggestions, senator Organa." Vader growled as he raised a clenched fist, causing Bail's throat to further constrict. "It gives orders. And know this, if there is so much as a whiff of defiance to those orders, it will not be you who pays the price."

His vision was beginning to go black at the edges and he could no longer even make the attempt to gasp for air.

"It will be your entire planet."

With that, Vader unclenched his fist, releasing his force hold on Bail's throat and allowing the senator to drop to the floor, gasping for breath.

"I trust I have made myself clear." The Emperor's enforcer sneered down at the viceroy.

Bail looked up at the Sith who had once been called Anakin Skywalker, no longer able to disguise the look of hatred in his eyes. He was beaten, and he knew it. He could not risk the lives of his people, not even for the rebellion.

"Transparently my lord." The Senator croaked, rubbing his now sore throat.

"Very good." The Dark Lord said, before turning on his heels and sweeping out of the office.

'How could something as pure and innocent as Leia have ever come from that… monster?' Bail asked himself as he reseated himself at his desk, still attempting to catch his breath.

'No matter.' He thought. 'She is my daughter now Vader, and I will protect her, even from you.'

And with that, the Viceroy of Alderaan returned to his work. Fearing for both the future of his world, and his family.

 **Well, there it is folks, Chapter 3. Hope you enjoyed it. I wanted to show more of Vader's Dark side in this chapter, just to make it clear that he is still very much in the Dark Side and that his treatment of Leia is an anomaly that is just as unexplainable and shocking to him as it is to everyone else. I know we didn't see much of Leia this chapter but she'll be making a return in the next chapter. Which will hopefully not be too long away, but I haven't quite started on it yet so we'll have to see. Thanks again to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed the story thus far. You guys really are the inspiration for this project.**


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